1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of increasing autonomy life of personal communications devices. More specifically, it relates to shutting down the personal communications device when the user is in or out of a pre-determined zone.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An increasing number of people want their children to have a cellular phone or another personal communication device for safety reasons. In parallel, more and more personal communication devices are used as tracking devices for people with different cognitive problems. These communications devices are, typically, to be used when the users are outside their homes.
Personal communications devices do not have a very long battery life. Recharging the device repeatedly may not be a priority for young or disabled users. The devices are therefore often automatically put in a shut down mode caused by lack of energy in the batteries.
In order to solve this problem, some users have taken the habit of turning off their cellular phones as soon as they enter their home and turning it back on as soon as they leave their home. Some even benefit from a call forward feature in which when the device is turned off, all calls are forwarded to a land line (typically, that of their home). The user must have the discipline to turn on and off his device and must not forget to turn it on or off, even when distracted. Often, the cellular device will stay turned off for days before the user realizes he forgot to turn it back on or will stay on for days before entering a shut down mode cause by lack of energy in the batteries. Another problem is that people with cognitive problems or children do not always have the knowledge or the capacity to turn on and off their phone.